The road to Super Bowl XLVII continues on Sunday with Baltimore (10-6) facing Indianapolis (11-5).
Preview: Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.
Ray Lewis has done pretty much every thing there is to do in a linebacker's career. Pro Bowls. A Super Bowl ring (and an MVP award to go along with it.
But with the sunset of his career only a loss (or a Super Bowl win) away, both he and Baltimore would like to ensure that their longtime leader goes out in style after representing the purple-and-black on the gridiron for 17 seasons.
He'll have plenty of help with quarterback Joe Flacco and the stiff defense of the AFC North Champion Ravens host the Colts and rookie sensation Andrew Luck on Sunday.
Offense
Flacco has been steady at quarterback for the Ravens, throwing for 3,817 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. More importantly, he had the playoff experience, having participated in the playoffs in each of his five seasons in the NFL.
And he'll have his pick of targets with Ray Rice, who caught for 1,143 yards and nine touchdowns this season, and Bernard Pierce, who caught for 532 yards and a touchdown.
Luck has been sensational this year, throwing for 4,374 yards and 23 touchdown passes for a 76.5 quarterback rating. Meanwhile, the Colts have been playing with inspiration of their own this season. Coach Chuck Pagano's return to the sidelines this season after dealing with a bout of leukemia has been fueling the Colts.
And as far as whether Luck's first playoff game in the pros will be too intimidating for their star rookie, Pagano doesn't appear too worried.
"I'm not worried about it at all," Pagano said days before the game. "It goes back to the maturity level. He's playing right now like he's been in the league three to four years. This won't faze him one bit."
He'll have his help with his favorite target, veteran Reggie Wayne, who recorded 1,355 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season, and T.Y. Hilton, who had 50 receptions and averaged 17.2 yards per reception.
In their running game, Vick Ballard was the backbone of the Colts' ground attack, rushing for 814 yards, two touchdowns and 3.9 yards per carry this season, while Donald Brown was a solid backup with 108 carries and 417 yards this season.
Defense
The Ravens allowed fewer total yards than the Colts this year on defense, giving up 350.9 total yards (228.1 in passing, 122.8 in rushing) as compared to Indianapolis's yielding of 374.3 yards (236.8 passing yards, 137.5 rushing yards). The Ravens may not be as overpowering as they were last year or in years past, but they are still a presence that can put pressure on Luck.
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